Extreme Makeover: Food Safety Edition
An article published in QA Magazine highlights the critical role of food safety culture in construction and renovation projects within food processing facilities, likening the process to TV makeovers while exposing the underlying complexities.
One of the interviewees, Darin Zehr, general manager at Commercial Food Sanitation, stresses the importance of balancing workloads to ensure both food safety and project success. “If each team member has enough capacity to provide proper oversight of the new project while doing their ongoing job. If the demand is too high, look to supplement from elsewhere in the organization or get outside support. This will assure success for both the new project and normal operation without increasing food safety risk,” he explains. Zehr also reinforces the importance of thorough planning, echoing Benjamin Franklin’s advice: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
The article outlines five key takeaways for successful construction projects:
- Prioritize People: Zehr advises supplementing overburdened teams from elsewhere in the organization or getting outside support to maintain safety and quality.
- Collaborative Planning: Involving diverse teams early ensures comprehensive risk assessment and smooth execution.
A food safety construction plan that outlines cross-functional responsibilities and expectations to ensure proper management of construction and maintenance activities as well as verification of sanitary conditions before the resumption of operations is essential.”
- Allow All Voices to Be Heard: You can never be overprepared for unknown circumstances. Being underprepared or not involving everyone in the action plan can lead to missed steps, delays, or worse.
- Transparent Communication: Daily meetings and clear delegation prevent miscommunication and ensure alignment.
- Accountability: Emphasizing the importance of empowering employees to report issues.
The bottom line is that prevention is the critical path. Success in construction to minimize food safety incidents is driven by organizational culture.
This is just an excerpt—read the full article here.
